Healthy breakfast
Let’s face it, cookies and other sweet foods taste good! They provide an instant taste gratification and a boost of energy. However, sweet foods are usually laden with wheat and sugar; 2 food sources that will spike your insulin levels and reduce your overall health in the short and long term.
Soon after the cookie is gone, the sugar high drops and your body craves more of the same…before you know it, you’re caught in the sugar trap. It’s often the same with caffeine.
In an ideal world, we would prepare and eat food slowly
And I encourage you to view food in that way. Begin to prioritise your time so that you are able to make delicious healthy dishes with salad and vegetables as the bulk. This may not be everyday, but do try to plan your meals to be more healthy…and that starts with breakfast.
To gain and maintain health, good levels of energy and optimal fitness you need to reduce all forms of carbohydrate…and that’s always been my number one food tip. Note: carbs from vegetables are fine and encouraged!
Here are some examples of foods to cut down and possibly in the long term even eliminate:
- Bread, including wholemeal bread, rye bread, wraps and bagels
- Pasta, yes even spelt, corn and gluten free varieties
- Pizza (look up cauliflower pizza base…sounds odd but is amazing)
- Crackers or any sort and Crisps (apart from homemade kale crisps)
- Cereals, including oats, muesli and granola (delicious grain free recipe coming soon)!
- Cake (homemade grain free, low sugar variety is ok)
- Biscuits and cookies (see below)
- Fruit – fresh and dried (the occasional piece of fruit is fine. Berries are the best of all)
- Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas and squash
- Alcohol and all mixers
- The list goes on and on
Candies, fizzy drinks, energy drinks and fruit juice should not to be consumed at all
Let’s repeat the above…if you want long term health for you and your family, then you must:
REDUCE YOUR CARBOHYDRATES
On days that you exercise, a small portion of healthy grain with your meal is ok. e.g millet or quinoa.
So, what about breakfast? The above list removes toast and jam, cereal, porridge and fruit and juice! What do I eat I hear you say? Here are six great alternatives to the traditional carb laden breakfast…which, health wise is the worst way to start your day.
6 Healthy Starts To Your Day
- The first alternative is not to eat anything for breakfast! Fasting 1 or 2 days a week has a multitude of health benefits (just consuming water or herb tea for at least 12 but ideal up to 18 hours). At first it’s tough, but you will soon get used to it and lunch will taste amazing! (If you are diabetic, pregnant or have an eating disorder, please speak with your health care practitioner or doctor before fasting).
- Cook some eggs – They are absolutely the best food to start the day. Try grating in some organic cheddar towards the end of cooking.
- Yogurt (must be full fat and plain). With any dairy, go for organic and grass fed (e.g. Yeo valley). Mix in a small amount of mulberries, Incan berries, goji berries and frozen blueberries with an assortment of nuts and seeds. If you need it to be sweeter and 2 drops of sweat leaf stevia.
- Enjoy home made grain free muesli with homemade hemp milk – Recipes next week!
- Make a power shake. Simply blend water, a scoop of plain whey protein powder or hemp seeds, half an avocado, a handful of frozen berries and a few drops of sweet-leaf stevia or 1/2 tsp lo han.
- Make the power-packed healthy cookies below!
What, cookies can be a healthy breakfast?
Yes, but they must be grain free (so flour is out) and ultra low, unrefined sugar.
Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Carob Fudge
The sweetener for the base of the cookie works out under 7% in terms of grams, but an even lower percentage in terms of calories. All ingredients (apart from from the Lo Han) should be available from your supermarket. (Always try to source organic). This recipe isn’t the quickest but it makes a large batch and cookie making is relaxation time. So enjoy the the whole process, get family and friends involved and indulge in the end result!
For the cookie base, you will need:
300g Pecans
100g Macadamia Nuts
75g Cashews
50g Shelled Hemp Seeds
40g Coconut Oil
50g Homemade Date Paste* or 40g Palmyra Jaggery or 40g Coconut Palm Sugar
25g Macadamia Nut Oil (or 25g more coconut oil)
2 – 3 tsp Powdered Ginger (optional)
2 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
1.5 tsp Lo Han. Full name Luo Han Guo – online source and description here
A good couple of pinches of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
These cookies will be an instant, healthy and satisfying breakfast. One that contains healthy fats and proteins that will provide lasting energy without an insulin spike. Feel free to be creative with nut and spice variations.
This recipe makes 16 of heart shaped cookies with spare for tasting as you go along!
Nuts are the flour replacement. First, prepare them by roasting on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 160 degrees. This will make the cookie more delicious and roasting will help break down phytic acid. If you only eat raw, or just want an even healthier option, soak the pecans over night then dehydrate for 24 hours or until crispy. (Macadamias and cashews don’t need soaking). This process is obviously more time consuming, but also helps reduce the phytic acid while enhancing the vitamin and mineral levels. It also keeps the nuts raw, maintain the enzymatic goodness.
Once prepared, whizz the nuts in your food processor until mealy but not too fine
Weigh out the date paste, hemp seeds and oils and place in food processor along with spices and salt
Re-whizz until all ingredients are integrated. If the coconut oil remains in lumps, use a fork and mash it against the sides of your food processor.
You know when the cookie dough is ready, when you can press it between your fingers and it sticks together. It shouldn’t be too crumbly or too wet. If it is crumbly, simply process for longer. If it’s too wet, you might have over processed the nuts earlier and will need to add a few extra nuts. However, the cookies will be fine if a little wet, its just they will be very soft (even from the freezer. Also if you used date paste rather than palm sugar the mix will by more wet. As with all my recipes, there is room to play and experiment…just remember to keep the sugar low. Definitely under 10%.
Remove dollops of the mix into silicone moulds and smooth down with the back of a spoon. You can you any shape mould you have. I weighed out 30 grams for each cookie in these heart shaped moulds. Pop in freezer as you make the topping.
As it stands these are great cookies, and instead of using a silicone mould, the mix can be formed by hand into cookie shapes and set on baking paper, then into the freezer to set. The two topping options below just add to the deliciousness!
For the Carob Fudge Topping, you will need:
100g Coconut Oil
50g Carob Powder
25g Plain Whey Protein Concentrate (order online here). You can also keep the recipe vegan by using ground cashews
25g Shelled Hemp Seeds
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
First, weigh out, then slowly melt the coconut oil on your stove. When melted remove from heat
Stir together all remaining ingredients. Then add to oil and stir again with a fork or better still a whisk
Pour about 1 tablespoon (I measured 12g) into each of the cookie moulds. Return to freezer
Delicious Alternative Raw Chocolate Fudge topping
I chose carob as the topping because raw cacao (un-roasted cocoa) contains a stimulant similar to caffeine. The idea behind this breakfast is a slow release of energy and not a jolt. However as a treat during the day, you might like this alternative topping.
65g Cacao Liquor
20g Coconut Oil
20g Cashew Butter (available in supermarkets and health food stores, but easy to make at home, please message below for recipe)
20g Shelled Hemp Seeds
15g Palmyra or Coconut Palm Sugar or homemade date paste*
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
Chop then slowly melt cacao on your stove with coconut oil. Remove from heat. Add all other ingredients and stir with a fork. As it stands this is a great thick fudge sauce but also an alternative topping to the cookie base above.
Summary
These cookies are best enjoyed a few minutes out of the freezer with a nice cup of caffeine free Pukka or Yogi herbal tea. Please try out the above recipe and also the other alternate breakfasts and leave feedback in the comments section below blog.
Take care, start your days healthy this week!
Thanks
Danny
* Home Made Date Paste – (200g Organic Medjool Dates with 60g (1/4cup) of water)
Place dates (pips and stones removed) and water in a high-sided jug. Leave for 10 minutes to soften, then use a hand blender to whizz into a delicious caramel-like toffee sauce. This should keep well in the fridge for a couple of weeks. If you have a vita-mix, double the ingredients for the tamper to reach the blades. A food processor does work but the date paste wont be as smooth.
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